The reality in which we are immersed is complex, uncertain and unpredictable, perhaps to a level never seen before. Faced with this complexity, however, our thinking cannot retreat: how could we live in a world that we only know how to decipher in a very small part?

The chaos of the pandemic, the disjointed reactions of certain politicians and the circulation of increasingly viral fake news have clearly shown that only thinking in scientific terms allows us to understand and explain the many aspects of a complex phenomenon. Precisely for this reason, science, with its limits, its uncertainties, but also with its interpretative effectiveness should be fully welcomed into public discussion. The preservation of democratic values and the strengthening of trust in institutions are only possible with the contribution of well-informed citizens. As Stephen Hawking wrote: “In a democracy, it is very important that citizens have a basic understanding of science so that they can control how science and technology increasingly influence our lives.” What are the right questions ahead something we don’t understand? How do we unmask a fallacy in an argument? What are the cognitive errors that influence our decisions? We have an enormous challenge ahead of us, writes Roberto Battiston, in which to capitalize on the lessons we have learned with the pandemic: the environmental issue. An elusive, slow, contradictory, yet decisive theme for our future; a topic that we must address now, avoiding being fooled by unfounded suggestions. Thanks to science we have the tools to understand problems and solve them: we just have to learn to use them in the most appropriate way.